Start a Minecraft Bedwars server

Bedwars is a team minigame built around beds, resource spawners and a shop. Screaming BedWars is a free plugin that adds it to a Paper or Purpur server, and this guide takes you from an empty server to a first playable arena.

Checked against Screaming BedWars 0.2.44 on Paper 26.3, October 2026. The plugin's Modrinth page lists Minecraft 1.8.8 to 26.3 for this build, and its docs name 26.1.2 as the recommended version.

What you need

• A Paper or Purpur server. Vanilla has no Plugins tab, so switch software first in JAR Manager (see Change your Minecraft version or mod loader).
• A Bedwars map built in its own world. The plugin docs assume the map is already loaded as a world that you are standing in, and suggest Multiverse for that (see Set up Multiverse-Core).
• The bw.admin permission (it allows creating and editing arenas) for whoever builds the arena, which you can give with a permissions plugin (see Set up LuckPerms). The setup commands use your position, so they are typed in game, not in the Console.

Install the plugin

1. Open the Plugins tab and stay on the Store view.
2. Choose the Modrinth button and search for Screaming BedWars.
3. Press Install, then restart from the Console tab.
4. Type plugins in the Console. Screaming BedWars should be in the list. Its files appear in plugins/BedWars.

Turn off spawn protection

The plugin's troubleshooting page says non-operators cannot use signs, and PvP can fail, while vanilla spawn protection covers the area. Open the Config Editor tab, find Spawn protection (blocks) under World, set it to 0, press Save changes and restart.

Build the arena

Join the server, stand inside the map's world and run these in order. Replace <arena> with a name of your choice.

1. /bw admin <arena> add creates the arena.
2. /bw admin <arena> pos1 at one corner of the map, then /bw admin <arena> pos2 at the opposite corner. This is the same idea as a WorldEdit selection.
3. /bw admin <arena> team add <team> <color> <size> adds a team, for example /bw admin MyArena team add Red RED 2. You need at least two teams.
4. Stand where a team spawns, face the direction you want, and run /bw admin <arena> team spawn <team>.
5. Look at the head of that team's bed (the pillow end) and run /bw admin <arena> team bed <team>. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for every team.
6. Stand where a resource spawner should be and run /bw admin <arena> spawner add <resource> <true/false>. The built-in resources are bronze, iron and gold. The true or false value shows or hides a hologram above it.
7. Stand where a shopkeeper should be and run /bw admin <arena> store add.
8. Set the waiting lobby with /bw admin <arena> lobby and the spectator spawn with /bw admin <arena> spec.
9. Run /bw admin <arena> save. Saving activates the arena.

To change a saved arena, run /bw admin <arena> edit, make the change, then save again. Diamond and emerald spawners need resource entries in the plugin's config.yml first, which you can edit in the File Manager.

Let players join

• /bw join <arena> joins one arena, /bw list shows them all and /bw leave leaves.
• /bw autojoin puts a player into a random game.
• A join sign has [BedWars] on the first line and the arena name on the second.

If something does not work

• The bed cannot be broken: any block can be the target, so check that you were looking at the bed head when you ran team bed.
• Signs or PvP do nothing: check spawn protection is 0, and that a world plugin such as Multiverse has PvP on for that world.
• Shopkeepers do not appear: make sure mob spawning is on for the world and that nothing protects the arena region.
• A compass teleports you through walls: that is WorldEdit's navigation tool. Change either tool's item.
• Players are thrown out when they die: another plugin is overriding spawns, such as a spawn plugin. Disable it in the Bedwars world.